Young children who attend day care on a regular basis are 50% more likely to be overweight compared to those who stayed at home with their parents, according to a study by researchers at the University of Montreal and the CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre that was published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
The researchers studied 1,649 families with children born 1997-98 in Quebec. The children were classified according to the type of care in which they had spent the most total hours: in a day care center (30%), in family day care (35%), with an extended family member (11%), with a nanny (5%), or with their parents (19%). During the six years that followed, the researchers measured the children’s weight and height. Children with excessive weight or obesity were identified using international standards.
To date, the mechanisms responsible for the increased proportion of overweight children in some child care situations remains unknown.
The researchers noted that day care has the potential to reduce weight problems in children, possibly through the promotion of physical activity and healthy eating.
(Source: todayinot.com)
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